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Jail sentence for driver in deadly Hazleton hit and run

Gabriel Hernandez-Mendez was driving the truck that hit and killed 15-year-old Hector Padilla in Hazleton.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Gabriel Hernandez-Mendez walked into the Luzerne County Courthouse for his sentencing on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, Mendez pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle charges.

He turned himself in to Hazleton police, saying he was driving the truck that hit and killed 15-year-old Hector Padilla while the boy was riding his bicycle in June of 2021.

"I miss him every day. I cry every single day. Not a day goes by, and it's something I wouldn't wish on anyone. Unfortunately, God has a reason for what he does and why he does it. I believe that. I'm going to go ahead and run with that," said Pedro Padilla, the victim's father.

Mendez got the maximum sentence for the homicide by vehicle charge — one to two years.

The family of the victim believes, with that limitation, they didn't feel justice could be served in this case.

"I think it's difficult to say that anyone can be happy with the sentence. The sentence, I'm happy in the sense that it's the maximum allowed by law for the charge, but there's no amount of sentence that would bring the victim in this case back," said Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce.

The DA said the prosecution charged appropriately, based on the evidence. Without investigators being able to find the truck involved and only Mendez turning himself in, he doesn't believe there was enough for a more aggravated charge with a steeper sentence.

President Judge Michael Vough said he believed justice could not be served with the limitations of the charge.

Mendez was taken to Luzerne County Correctional facility directly after this sentencing to begin his sentence.

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